Plum x cherry interspecific hybrid tree named &#39;nadia&#39;

ABSTRACT

A plum×cherry interspecific hybrid tree named ‘Nadia.’ The new selection is the result of a controlled cross of ‘Black Amber’ plum and ‘Supreme’ cherry, and is notable for its sweet, red fruit.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Prunus salicina×Prunus avium

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Nadia’

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

‘Nadia’ is a new interspecific hybrid resulting from a controlled crossof ‘Black Amber’ plum (not patented) and ‘Supreme’ cherry (notpatented). The inventor hand pollinated a limb of a ‘Black Amber’ plumtree located in his commercial orchard at Shepparton, Victoria, NewSouth Wales, Australia, with pollen from ‘Supreme’ cherry. Afterpollination, the limb was bagged to prevent further pollination. Twohundred seeds were collected from fruit set on the selected branch, andplanted in pots for observation. Of the two hundred seeds planted, only5 produced seedlings. The five seedlings were grown on until largeenough to harvest budwood for further propagations. The budwood wastopworked by grafting onto 20 plum rootstock trees for evaluation. Itwas from these topworked trees that ‘Nadia’ was selected. Since theinitial selection, four generations of asexual propagation have beencarried out. It has been observed that the traits identified in theoriginal selection have been carried forward and remain stable and trueto type in the asexually propagated trees of ‘Nadia’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

FIG. 1 shows the fruit of ‘Nadia’ with reference to a standard cherrysizing card;

FIG. 2 shows whole and sectioned fruit of ‘Nadia’;

FIG. 3 shows the fruit and leaves of ‘Nadia’; and

FIG. 4 shows a tree of the ‘Nadia’ variety.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed botanical description of the new plum×cherryinterspecific hybrid tree ‘Nadia’, based on observations made during the2005 growing season at Shepparton, Victoria, New South Wales, Australia,and further based on observations of 2 year old trees made during the2006/2007 growing season at Manjimup, Western Australia. It should beunderstood that the botanical and analytical characteristics describedwill vary somewhat depending upon cultural practices and climaticconditions, and can vary with location and season. Quantifiedmeasurements are expressed as an average of measurements taken from anumber of individual plants of the new variety. The measurements of anyindividual plant, or any group of plants, of the new variety may varyfrom the stated average.

-   Tree:    -   -   Size.—3 to 4 m high; 2 m wide.        -   Vigor.—medium to strong; 75 cm per year.        -   Habit.—semi-upright.        -   Canopy density.—dense.        -   Branching.—strong.        -   Trunk.—Diameter 3 cm at 30 cm above soil level; bark texture            smooth; bark color greyed orange 172A.        -   Lenticels.—length 3 to 5 mm, greyed orange 164B, density 6            to 8 per cm².        -   Production.—more than 30 tonnes/hectare.-   One year old shoot:    -   -   Attitude.—erect to semi-erect.        -   Number of lenticels.—medium.        -   Position of bud in relation to shoot.—slightly held out.        -   Anthocyanin coloration of tip of young shoot.—medium.-   Branch:    -   -   Size.—Representative branch 1.5 cm diameter at 50 cm above            the ground.        -   Crotch angle of bearing branches.—0 to 90° from vertical.        -   Texture.—smooth.        -   Color.—First year wood greyed orange 174A; second year wood            greyed orange 177A.        -   Lenticels.—Length 1 mm, greyed orange 164B, density 3 to 4            per cm².-   Leaf: Measurements are from mature leaves attached at midpoint of    actively growing upright shoots of current season's growth    -   -   Length.—Medium to long, 9 cm.        -   Width.—Medium, 5 cm.        -   Ratio length to width.—medium to large.        -   Shape.—elliptic.        -   Shape of tip.—pointed.        -   Margin.—crenate.        -   Attitude.—horizontal to downwards.        -   Color.—upper side — light green 141A, glossy.        -   Color.—lower side — light green 143A.        -   Midvein.—Width 0.5 mm; upper surface green 136A; lower            surface green 136A.        -   Pubescence of lower surface.—weak.        -   Petiole.—short to medium, length 1 cm, width 4 mm; green            140B.        -   Nectaries.—present, orange yellow.-   Flower:    -   -   Buds.—8-10 per spur, length 5 mm, width 2 mm; pedicel length            1 cm.        -   Diameter of corolla.—medium to large.        -   Petal shape.—broad elliptic to obovate.        -   Petal size.—medium.        -   Relative position of petal margins.—free.        -   Undulation of margin.—weak.        -   Sepal shape.—elliptic.        -   Bloom time.—First bloom 25 July, full bloom 8 August at            Manjimup, Western Australia.-   Fruit:    -   -   Size.—diameter 42 to 48 mm, large to very large as compared            to ‘Cherry Supreme’ cherry, small as compared to ‘Black            Amber’ plum; weight 60 g.        -   Shape.—cordate.        -   Shape of pistil end.—pointed.        -   Depth of stalk cavity.—very shallow.        -   Position of maximum diameter.—toward stalk end.        -   Symmetry.—symmetric.        -   Depth of suture.—2 mm.        -   Cavity.—very shallow, 5 mm; diameter 10 mm shoulder to            shoulder.        -   Color of skin.—dark red to purple 59A.        -   Thickness of skin.—medium.        -   Tendency to crack.—none.        -   Size of lenticels on skin.—very small.        -   Number of lenticels on skin.—very few.        -   Color of juice.—red.        -   Color of flesh.—dark red 57B.        -   Texture of flesh.—melting.        -   Firmness.—firm to very firm.        -   Acidity.—very low.        -   Sweetness.—high to very high, 20-24° Brix.        -   Juiciness.—strong.        -   Length of stalk.—medium, 2 cm.        -   Abcission layer between stalk and fruit.—present.        -   Thickness of stalk.—medium, 2 mm.        -   Stalk color.—Green 140B.        -   Adherence of stone to flesh.—semi-adherent.        -   Fruit keeping quality.—excellent, 7 to 10 days at room            temperature.        -   Fruit shipping quality.—excellent.        -   Time of fruit maturity.—medium, eating ripe early January at            Shepparton, Victoria, Australia (2005/2006 growing season).            First picking 5 January, last picking 10 January.-   Stone:    -   -   Size.—very small, length 1 cm, width 1 cm.        -   Shape in profile.—round to round-elliptical.        -   Shape in ventral view.—globular.        -   Shape in basal view.—round.        -   Symmetry.—symmetric.        -   Position of maximum width.—at center.        -   Size relative to fruit.—very small.        -   Color.—greyed yellow 162D.        -   Texture of lateral surfaces.—fine grained.        -   Margins of dorsal groove.—broken.        -   Sharpness of edges.—very weak.        -   Width of ventral zone.—medium.        -   Width of stalk end.—medium.

1. A new and distinct plum×cherry interspecific hybrid tree,substantially as described and illustrated herein.